Simpson Desert Lone Crossing Sept 2022
Submitted: Sunday, Aug 28, 2022 at 20:31
ThreadID:
144640
Views:
6168
Replies:
11
FollowUps:
16
This Thread has been Archived
Member - TWP176
Hi All,
New to ExplorOz.
I would like to do a
Simpson Desert Crossing alone in a single car in September 2022. I have a 2018
Ranger which will be close to its upgraded GVM of 3500kgs. Planning to go West to East along French Line with detours down to bits of the Rig and WAA as suggested in the ExplorOz
Simpson Desert Combined Trek. Will have a satphone, PLB, recovery equipment etc.
Just wondering if anyone has done it recently and can provide advice on road conditions and I suppose advice on whether attempting it as one person alone in one car is doable?
Cheers
Tim
Reply By: AlbyNSW - Sunday, Aug 28, 2022 at 20:44
Sunday, Aug 28, 2022 at 20:44
I did it solo two weeks ago west to east no problems. You still need to feel confident within yourself that you are capable otherwise you won’t enjoy it
It is pretty chopped up in sections but still very doable
Be sympathetic towards your vehicle :)
AnswerID:
641526
Follow Up By: Member - TWP176 - Sunday, Aug 28, 2022 at 21:20
Sunday, Aug 28, 2022 at 21:20
Thanks for the reply, That helps knowing it is quite doable.
FollowupID:
920744
Reply By: Stephen L (Clare) SA - Sunday, Aug 28, 2022 at 21:10
Sunday, Aug 28, 2022 at 21:10
We have done it many times solo and to be honest, the desert does not change a lot, just the face of the dunes just get cut up more every year from one thing only…….wrong bloody tyre pressures.
If you have not had much sand driving experience, drop to 14 psi, engage 4X4 high range and it should be a walk in the park.
Go higher in tyre pressure and you will get caught out on some dunes.
Your best friend for solo work is a set of Maxtrax.
Enjoy
AnswerID:
641527
Follow Up By: Member - TWP176 - Sunday, Aug 28, 2022 at 21:26
Sunday, Aug 28, 2022 at 21:26
Thanks Stephen,
yes, was planning to start at 18 psi but happy to go to 14, I will also have a pair of maxtrax with me, and I will also throw in some Trac Grabbers which I have used with success in the past. It has been a few years since I have driven on sand but I am sure it will all come back pretty quickly.
FollowupID:
920745
Follow Up By: Member - McLaren3030 - Monday, Aug 29, 2022 at 07:37
Monday, Aug 29, 2022 at 07:37
Whilst I agree with Stephen in principle, if you are close to your max GVM, I would be a little careful with dropping your tyre pressures, and not go too far. Some tyre brands have “softer” side walls, and are prone to side wall splitting if lowered too far.
Macca.
FollowupID:
920747
Follow Up By: Member - TWP176 - Monday, Aug 29, 2022 at 08:12
Monday, Aug 29, 2022 at 08:12
Thanks for the advice Macca,
I will progressively lower them and see how I go but I am wary of the weight. They are BFG K02s and been down to 12 in the past on same brand/sized tyre but that was my previous vehicle (challenger) which weighed far less
FollowupID:
920749
Follow Up By: Stephen L (Clare) SA - Monday, Aug 29, 2022 at 08:21
Monday, Aug 29, 2022 at 08:21
Couple of things Macca
If you are close to your GVM, it’s only an easy desert crossing and you would be very overloaded, the principal out there is to travel as light as possible and secondly, as you know you are not doing massive speeds to damage your tyres, 20-40 kph and any quality LT tyre should that that in its stride.
An absolute maximum for anyone travelling through would be 18psi and any higher, they are the ones doing dune damage.
FollowupID:
920750
Follow Up By: Allan B (Sunshine Coast) - Monday, Aug 29, 2022 at 08:34
Monday, Aug 29, 2022 at 08:34
.
I agree with Stephen. My Troopy ran at 3600kg. On our first crossing many years ago, the tyres started at 18psi and had difficulty at one very soft crest. Dropped to 15psi and then had no trouble so ran at that pressure on all following crossings.
No need to throw yourself at a dune as many drivers do. Just select the gear that you will need to complete the dune and stay in it so that you don't need to change-down mid-way. An over-rapid approach will just cause you un-necessary grief due to the scollops that Stephen referred to. The right tyre pressure and gear should enable you to simply 'drive over'. And be ready to drop the power as you crest because the track often takes a sharp turn at the top. Besides, someone may be hurtling up the other side!
Have a great time. It can be a good experience.
FollowupID:
920751
Follow Up By: Allan B (Sunshine Coast) - Monday, Aug 29, 2022 at 08:49
Monday, Aug 29, 2022 at 08:49
.
TWP176,
No way would I employ Trac Grabbers in soft sand. The propensity for the wheel to spin, then grab and spin again repeatably, could damage the driveline, to say nothing of damaging the track. They may assist in mud or sand on the flat with the need for low power only but not in dune climbing where you need full power.
Read
this article on Trac Grabbers.
Dangerous bloody things if you ask me!
FollowupID:
920752
Follow Up By: Allan B (Sunshine Coast) - Monday, Aug 29, 2022 at 09:17
Monday, Aug 29, 2022 at 09:17
.
Incidentally, I watched the 4X4 Australia video review of a Trac Grabber recovery on a beach. A following comment was that the Trac Grabber block seemed to go missing as they reversed out. So I froze the video and sure enough, no block, just the strap. See the screen-grab below.
Yair, right. They look a great idea!!!
Also, don't know how they would work with traction control because as soon as the wheel begins to spin, the brake would be applied. That would defeat the whole attempt.
Trac Grabber detach.
FollowupID:
920754
Reply By: Life Member - Duncan W (WA) - Monday, Aug 29, 2022 at 09:34
Monday, Aug 29, 2022 at 09:34
I've done the Simpson twice and the last time with fuel pump problems so I had serious power problems. In my 1HZ 75s Troopy I dropped my tyres down to 14psi and then used low 4 on the dunes. Momentum works to a point and good on flat stuff but these dunes will be cut up to buggery with deep hollows all the way up. I found by just using a steady speed and let the car do all the work and keeping the bounce down to a minimum worked
well. If at the crest of the dune I started to bog down swinging your steering wheel left to right rapidly considerably helped as the side walls dug in and dragged me over. Mate I traveled with used momentum over tyre pressures and he bounced all over the
shop and and caused damage.
With 1100 dunes you'll soon learn what works for you.
Enjoy it's a beautiful spot.
AnswerID:
641530
Follow Up By: Allan B (Sunshine Coast) - Monday, Aug 29, 2022 at 10:28
Monday, Aug 29, 2022 at 10:28
.
Hi Duncan,
I believe you are correct about "momentum".
It may assist, but on the larger dunes it runs out
well before the top so you then need to simply use power to get up and over. That being the case, if the vehicle power is able to carry you up the last of the dune, then it is capable of getting you up all of the dune. So why not simply drive-over in the first place at a comfortable pace and without damaging either the vehicle or dune. There is no case for gung-ho driving on dunes or anywhere else for that matter. It is unsafe, uncomfortable, damages tracks, and gives 4WD driving a bad reputation.
FollowupID:
920758
Follow Up By: Life Member - Duncan W (WA) - Monday, Aug 29, 2022 at 14:35
Monday, Aug 29, 2022 at 14:35
And Allan, you didn't mention if you start to go down don't spin your wheels as all that does is get you more stuck and stuffs up the track for those behind you!
FollowupID:
920765
Follow Up By: Peter_n_Margaret - Monday, Aug 29, 2022 at 16:04
Monday, Aug 29, 2022 at 16:04
With 6T and just 110hp there is only one option. Get the tyre pressures appropriate to the sand and the climb.
No screaming engine, no spinning wheels. You can see where the others failed.
https://youtu.be/T7y61s_2vP0https://youtu.be/hX2bqM8VSZE
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome
FollowupID:
920766
Follow Up By: Life Member - Duncan W (WA) - Monday, Aug 29, 2022 at 17:53
Monday, Aug 29, 2022 at 17:53
Peter you only showed the good bits of track. LOL
BTW that 1st dune after BR heading west in my opinion is by far worse than Big Red!
FollowupID:
920767
Follow Up By: Allan B (Sunshine Coast) - Thursday, Sep 01, 2022 at 09:02
Thursday, Sep 01, 2022 at 09:02
.
Peter, your videos demonstrate my expression very
well. Thank you.
However, I did encounter one dune on Madigan's Track where I failed.
I tried multiple combinations of gear selection and tyre pressure and even resorted to inertial velocity, all to no avail..... I simply ran out of power near the top at each attempt. No tyre spin, she simply stalled! Tow assistance was needed.
FollowupID:
920795
Reply By: lindsay - Monday, Aug 29, 2022 at 17:23
Monday, Aug 29, 2022 at 17:23
I will give you a tip if an auto. There is a metal plate under the bell housing that is not
well sealed, seal it with silicone. My son has a late model
ranger still under warranty , he went up the
big desert for 2 days, recently (still under warranty) he had it serviced at he local dealer. They found an oil leak, they washed it and told him to drive for a time and bring it back to them.
Well he took it back and the leak was still there. They pulled the transmission out and found the inside of the bell housing had a large amount of sand and it had destroyed front oil seal of the auto box.
Ford would not fix it under warranty and quoted in excess of six grand to repair it. They accused him of driving through water above the wading limit. He took it somewhere else and had a new seal fitted and checked the box for other issues for two grand.
The story is, before you go seal the plate to stop sand getting in.
AnswerID:
641533
Reply By: Member - McLaren3030 - Tuesday, Aug 30, 2022 at 09:01
Tuesday, Aug 30, 2022 at 09:01
Given the recent rain event, I would be careful when traversing the clay pans. You may find you will need to drive around them and not across them.
Macca.
AnswerID:
641539
Reply By: Andrew S55 - Tuesday, Aug 30, 2022 at 11:50
Tuesday, Aug 30, 2022 at 11:50
Hi, I am also new to this app having previously used Hemma.
We crossed the
Madigan Line last week and never saw another vehicle for 5 days. The track was mint except where we joined the QAA line at Eyre Creek. The QAA was heavily scalloped and corrugated but no problems. You won’t be alone as the French line is getting a lot of traffic.
I have had some issues with Exploreoz. It did not show sections of the
Madigan Line but did show tracks that do not exist. Also it keeps going to a blue screen which needs a reset to defaults to fix. Then you loose all your custom settings. I have also had to re download the maps twice in the last week.
I think Hemma is better.
AnswerID:
641545
Reply By: Bob Y. - Qld - Tuesday, Aug 30, 2022 at 18:10
Tuesday, Aug 30, 2022 at 18:10
I’ve done 2 solo trips, Tim, one in June & the other in late Sept/early Oct.
The former was across the FL,
Birdsville-Mt Dare, and took 3 days. Think I only spoke to 3 people in the 3 days, it was very quiet. The 2nd journey was from Mac Clark Reserve, where my friends headed to the Alice, & I travelled on the Madigan, then down Colson Track to
Rig Road, along RR & up K1 &
Hay River Track and along Madigan from
Camp 16. After leaving 8 friends at MC Reserve, it was a warm-hot & lonely trip till I got to Adria Downs.
I’d do your trip as early in Sept as possible, to avoid the heat, and keep a close eye on potential weather fronts coming from the West. Safe trip,
Bob
AnswerID:
641548
Follow Up By: Allan B (Sunshine Coast) - Tuesday, Aug 30, 2022 at 18:31
Tuesday, Aug 30, 2022 at 18:31
.
Yes Bob, it's gunna warn up pretty soon out there.
We crossed heading east once in late October in a hurry to get
home. Straight across the French & QAA Lines.
Temperature was 42c and the aircon packed it in!!! It was 42 outside and inside.
The Troopy engine cooling system managed but we were baked. Considered night driving but didn't want to risk it and it wasn't much cooler anyway. Crossing took the usual 3 days.
We saw a couple of vehicles heading west and no-one else going our way.
FollowupID:
920780
Follow Up By: Member - TWP176 - Tuesday, Aug 30, 2022 at 20:03
Tuesday, Aug 30, 2022 at 20:03
Thanks Bob,
I aim to be at Dalhousie on about the 10th September so will make a decision whether to cross based on weather etc. then. I must admit I am probably more concerned about getting stuck on the clay pans then on the dunes.
I appreciate everyone’s advice I have received thus far.
Cheers
Tim
FollowupID:
920782
Reply By: Member - Warrie (NSW) - Tuesday, Aug 30, 2022 at 20:49
Tuesday, Aug 30, 2022 at 20:49
Hi TWP. We did the Rig Rd E to W towing trailers in Sept 2015 arriving at Mt Dare about the 12th. No heat until the day we got to Dare and spent the afternoon realigning trailer springs in the 32 degree temps. So not too bad. As Steven said above, the scenery can be similar so it may not matter which track you take. As for rain,
Birdsville had 9 mm on the 6th and dry since, the Alice dry since 4th June. Map below in link shows desert rainfall is negligible. But record rain in central Qld yesterday so keep an eye on charts
http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/awap/rain/index.jsp?colour=colour&time=latest&step=0&map=totals&period=cmonth&area=nat
AnswerID:
641550
Reply By: Member - Supersi - Tuesday, Aug 30, 2022 at 22:07
Tuesday, Aug 30, 2022 at 22:07
As
well as the previously mentioned tyre pressure, remember to turn off the traction control in the
Ranger. It works by applying the brakes, not ideal in sand. And you need to remember to turn it off every time you start the vehicle.
AnswerID:
641552
Reply By: Member - David H72 - Saturday, Sep 03, 2022 at 12:55
Saturday, Sep 03, 2022 at 12:55
You will also need more than a pair of Maxtrax. You really need one per wheel.
David
AnswerID:
641571
Reply By: Member - Markthemilko (WA) - Tuesday, Sep 20, 2022 at 23:40
Tuesday, Sep 20, 2022 at 23:40
And have a TALL sand flag on your bull-bar for maximum visibility.
AnswerID:
641690